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I'm trying to understand what is fictional and what is real history in a particular science fiction book.

For instance, what 1917 represents for the Labour Party in UK?

The book "The Lord of the world" by R.H Benson, first published in 1907, says:

in 1917 the Labour party gathered up the reins [in England], and Communism really began

The communism part is not what interest me, it's the "1917 the "Labour party gathered up the reins", is it true or fictional?

[...] The new order began then; and the Communists have never suffered a serious reverse since, except the little one in ’25. Blenkin founded ’The New People’ then; and the ’Times’ dropped out; but it was not, strangely enough, till ’35 that the House of Lords fell for the last time. The Established Church had gone finally in ’29.”

I'd like to know if those events are real or fictional. Did Blenkin and the "The New People" exist? Did the "Times" and the House of Lords "dropped out" for a time? What is the little reverse in 1925, and I think the Established Church part is fictional, or does it refer to a particular event in UK religious history?

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    Links to the 1910 and 1918 UK General Elections. – Pieter Geerkens Apr 25 '19 at 16:53
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    What research have you already done? Have you read the Wikipedia articles on the Labour Party, the Times and the House of Lords? – Steve Bird Apr 25 '19 at 16:55
  • Yes, I did. No info. – Quidam Apr 25 '19 at 16:58
  • Thank you for the downvote, whoever you are. I forgot it was not possible to ask serious questions here. More unwelcoming site in the world, really. – Quidam Apr 25 '19 at 17:01
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    The "The Lord of the world" was written in 1907, so it's an imagined future history, with the emphasis on "imagined". Checking the above Wikipedia articles would quickly prove that it's all fiction. – KillingTime Apr 25 '19 at 17:14
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I suspect that we have a conflict of assumptions and language. The Lord of the World is a work of speculative fiction. None of it is historical. @KillingTime pointed out the key to understanding the entire question; the novel was published in 1907, so it isn't based on historical events at all. It is speculative fiction about then (then) future.

in 1917 the Labour party gathered up the reins [in England], and Communism really began

I haven't read the novel, but I take this to mean that in the novel, the Labour Party won the general election in 1917 and assembled a parliamentary majority. The statement is neither true nor fictional - it is about what was (in 1907) the future - it is speculative.

Likewise for the second quote - the author was writing in 1917 about the (then) future.

The new order began then; and the Communists have never suffered a serious reverse since, except the little one in ’25. Blenkin founded ’The New People’ then; and the ’Times’ dropped out; but it was not, strangely enough, till ’35 that the House of Lords fell for the last time. The Established Church had gone finally in ’29.”

I infer that the Communists held a majority in the House of Commons from that point forward - although in 1925 they might have had to form a coalition with another party. Blenkin and the "new People" are a fictional invention. Wikipedia clarifies that in the novel, the House of Lords was disestablished in 1935.

The Established Church is probably a reference to the Church of England. Communism's position about the church is well known; Wikipedia clarifies that in the future described by the novel,

The Anglican Communion has been disestablished since 1929 and, like all forms of Protestantism, is almost extinct.

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